COMMUNITY INNOVATION PORTFOLIOS FOR SUSTAINABLE LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH

Abstract

Background: Community Innovation Portfolios for Sustainable Local Economic Growth addresses an increasingly practical concern in community cooperatives and local economic ecosystems. Organizations may introduce visible programs, digital tools, or partnership arrangements, yet outcomes remain uneven when responsibilities and feedback routines are weak. This article treats community innovation portfolios as an organizational capability that must be translated into repeatable decisions rather than as a one-time initiative. Aims: The article develops a conceptual framework linking community innovation portfolios with market relevance, member value, and resource productivity. It also identifies governance conditions and implementation risks that can strengthen or weaken those relationships. Review Approach: An integrative conceptual review is used to connect established perspectives from strategic positioning, resource-based view, market orientation, and innovation portfolio management. The manuscript does not claim original survey, interview, experimental, or transaction data. Results and Conclusion: The synthesis identifies four operating mechanisms—segment clarity, distinctive local value proposition, capability-based prioritization, and portfolio review—and proposes a staged pathway for diagnosis, pilot implementation, review, and scale. The central conclusion is that performance improves when information, decision rights, and learning routines are aligned with the needs of the people who use and deliver the service. Contribution: The contribution is a practical, testable structure for assessing community innovation portfolios in resource-constrained settings without assuming that technology, communication, or formal policy automatically creates capability.